Road Trip 2025 - Goats on the Roof

 

While in the Nanaimo area of Vancouver Island's east coast, we had a chance to revisit a favourite stop from our previous 1981 trip.. We couldn't remember the name or place, but I had 2 photos of goats grazing on a green sod-covered roof. The building was a country market and I remember wide open doors and lots of fresh produce, jams, etc. Woven baskets hung from the rafters and sat on shelves. A particular basket caught my eye...a doubled handled oblong one woven with thin, dark twigs. It was about 14 x 10 inches and 8 inches deep with tapered sides. That basket held my knitting for over forty years before the first sign of breakage. 

The Old Country Market, 2025, Coombs, Vancouver Island, BC

Although Crystal was only 3 during our 1981 visit, as a 2025 resident of BC, she knew exactly where Goats on the Roof was located and directed us to The Old Country Market in Coombs near Qualicum Beach and Parksville. 

The Old Country Market, 2025, Coombs, Vancouver Island, BC

And there it was. I spotted the sod roof and smiled. Yet, it was different. Back in 1981, we drove up to the market, parked in front of the wide-open doors, and walked right in like the photo below.

The Old Country Market, 1981, Coombs, Vancouver Island, BC

But where were the wide open doors to the market in our current photo of 2025 below? Times change. Now, there is long wooden bench in front of a lattice-like wooden fence, with an outdoor restaurant filling the space to the market doors. It's a great place to relax and eat, but tough if you're trying to get decent photos of the goats on the roof without the shade umbrellas hiding your view.  As it was a hot day, we took the best photos we could and then chose to eat inside...in the indoor market cafe which was very relaxing, cool, and quieter. Great food, too!

The Old Country Market, 2025, Coombs, Vancouver Island, BC

Established in 1973 as The Old Country Market, it is now a famous tourist attraction alternately known as Goats on the Roof. Information on the history of the market and the goats can be found on their website. And when we visited in 2025, the place was busy, inside the market as well as outside where people stood waiting to get in while being entertained by the grazing goats. 

Goats on the Roof, 1981, Coombs, Vancouver Island, BC

But what of the shelter on the roof? Was it the same one I'd photographed in 1981? I zoomed into my photos and checked the details of the small log shelter in both the 1981 photo above and the 2025 photo below...the shape of the log ends...imperfections in the wood...and am satisfied that it is indeed the same log structure. Weathering aside, not everything has changed.

Goats on the Roof, 2025, Coombs, Vancouver Island, BC

The country market still showcases local produce and goods, but it also sells a delectable selection of imported food, giftware, and apparel from around the world. It took us 2 hours to walk through the crowded market, collecting wonderful items along the way from all sections of the old building.  Of course, we could have gotten through faster even with the crowds, but we wanted to experience the sounds and aromas of the market, and to see everything. 

The Old Country Market, Goats on Roof Mustard, 2025, Coombs, Vancouver Island, BC

Yes, we bought the Goats on Roof Sweet Mustard among other delectable items. It is delicious. The Old Country Market has been a local favourite as well as a famous tourist attraction for over 50 yrs now, and it is heart-warming to know it still carries on the quaint and unique tradition of having goats graze on the sod roof.

Perhaps it's because we were goat farmers for many years? Or maybe it's because we like quirky roadside attractions...like when we were driving on Hwy 7 east of Peterborough, Ontario one summer and our eyes were drawn to the huge Dinosaur Drive Thru sign. Called Canada's Dinosaur Park, it features over 100 vehicle-size stationary and animatronic dinosaurs hidden in a forested area that really was a treat for our eyes and ears. 

Dinosaur Drive Thru, Canada's Dinosaur Park, 2024, Indian River, Ontario

Whatever the reason, Goats on the Roof was a family favourite in 1981 and our recent visit with the kids that weren't around for the first visit confirms it's their favourite as well. Hopefully we'll return some day once more. 

This post corresponds to our 2025 BC Vacation, but not any particular calendar page. 

The next post in this series is our previously mentioned incredible visit to Cowichan Bay, which is pictured on the June calendar page. We hope you'll join us at that time for another adventure.

Road Trip 2025 - Victoria

Our visit to Vancouver Island was laid out in such a way that we would stay a couple nights in one place and be able to reach areas of interest before moving on. One of those times was when we reached Cowichan Bay which will be featured in a future post. Once we settled in for the night, we went over the plan for the next day which was to visit Victoria. Nelson, Crystal, and I, wanted to just sit back and relax in our unique Airbnb with a dockside view. The younger ones wanted to visit Victoria about an hour south of us. We stayed. They went. 

JJ, Nick, Jessie, Legislature Building, 2025, Victoria, Vancouver Island, BC

Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia and the kids made sure they stopped at the historic Legislature Building. I am so glad they took a selfie with the flag flying and the totem pole on the side. 

Legislature Building, 2025, Victoria, Vancouver Island, BC

Nelson, Crystal and I had visited Victoria back on our 1981 trip when our destination that day was the Fable Cottage Estate. 

Fable Cottage Estate, 1981, Victoria, BC

The Fable Cottage was a delightful, magical estate and although it's gone now, even Crystal remembers it. While preparing for our 2025 trip, I searched for info on the Fable Cottage and couldn't find anything that marks its historic presence. From what I remember, a father built the estate for his children. Stone walls and hand-hewed woodwork for the doors and frames right down to the carved built-in seats for his children to sit in. It was truly remarkable workmanship.

Fable Cottage Estate, 1981, Victoria, BC

The Fable Cottage grounds were manicured in a park-like setting. One building was a smaller version of the cottage itself and had a flurry of dwarfs working on it, such as fixing the roof, replacing a window, carrying a ladder, etc. They were the same height as Crystal and she was in awe of them. 

Surfacing, Seasonal Garden Display, 2025, Victoria, BC

Back to 2025, apparently the kids were in the neighbourhood of the Fairmont Empress Hotel, which is on my bucket list, because Jessie took the above photo of Surfacing. Unlike topiary which is just the clipping of trees and shrubs into shapes, this seasonal garden display of a 6 meter/20 foot mother and calf orca is made up of 10,000 living plants on a frame which is replanted each year at the Beacon Hill Park Nursery.

Wild Peacock, 2025, Victoria, BC

While the youngsters were in Victoria, Jessie took a photo of this peacock crossing the street. What was a peacock doing in the city? Had it escaped a zoo or aviary? A bit of research showed that yes, it did seem to be an escapee from Beacon Hill Park. In fact, there are about 40 members of the peacock family residing in the park and they regularly roam the city, especially in the spring during mating season. They stay around the south side of Victoria and seem to like the Hatley Castle area.

 

Wild Peacock, 2025, Victoria, BC

Apparently, peacock vocalizing was a problem during the filming of the X-Men franchise as well as the Deadpool movies, and probably the dozen or so other films and shows that have been filmed in the area. Peacocks are beautiful, but their voices don't sing nicely by any stretch of the imagination. Peacock cries would probably fit right in for a horror movie though.  

Victoria's Chinatown National Historic Site, 2025, Victoria, BC

Nick took the above photo when they explored Victoria's Chinatown. There are hundreds of Chinese communities across our country, and Victoria's Chinatown is the oldest in Canada, thus the distinction of being a National Historic Site of Canada.

Victoria's Chinatown National Historic Site, 2025, Victoria, BC

Victoria's Chinatown also holds the record for the narrowest street in Canada. Fan Tan Alley, as pictured above, was notorious for gambling which was illegal, and opium which was legal until 1908. In my years of research, I was confounded to find how different "vices" become legal/illegal depending on the culture and government of the day. No wonder time travelers get confused. 

Bubble Tea, Victoria's Chinatown National Historic Site, 2025, Victoria, BC

Bubble Tea anyone? Although we can get Bubble Tea at home in Regina, there's nothing better to quench your thirst on a hot day when you're playing tourist, than Bubble Tea. And the cup is a nice souvenir of Victoria's Chinatown as  well. 

Midafternoon found the kids at Fisherman's Wharf near Victoria's Inner Harbour. It looks like a wonderful place to visit. The Greater Victoria Harbour Authority's website says, "This unique marine destination offers food kiosks, unique shops and eco-tour adventures amongst fishing vessels, pleasure boats with live-aboard residents, float homes and commercial businesses."

Jessie's photo above shows float homes, businesses, and tourists. My eye was particularly drawn to the small group of youngsters under the neon green sign. They're all engrossed in something in the water and I'd like to know what caught their attention. 

 Fisherman's Wharf Houseboats, 2025, Victoria, BC

Jessie also took this photo of float homes while at Fisherman's Wharf. I remember calling them houseboats back in the day. Definitely a different kind of living.

Actually, our Cowichan Bay Airbnb was over the water and while the kids were in Victoria, Nelson, Crystal and I spent hours looking over the deck railing at crabs and things and seeing how they handled the incoming and outgoing tide. We loved it! 

Our Cowichan Bay visit will be posted here on June 1st.

This post on Victoria corresponds to the May calendar page. We thought it would be a fitting tribute to Victoria Day when it rolls around on May 18th this year.